A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

An aduise for the direction of holy Zeale. CHAPTER. XV.

1. VVHereas Zeale is an ardour and vehe∣mencie of loue, it stands in neede of prudent conduct, otherwise it will violate the termes of modestie and discretion: not that diuine Loue, though neuer so vehement, can be exces∣siue in it selfe, nor in the motions and inclinations, which it giues to our hearts, but because it makes vse of the vnderstanding in the execution of its designes, ordering that it should find out the meanes whereby they might haue good successe, and that it should haue boldnesse or anger in a readinesse, to encounter and surmount difficulties, it happens very frequently, that the vnderstan∣ding proposeth, and makes vs vndertake too sharpe and violent courses; and withall, that anger or boldnesse being once set on foote, and not being able to containe themselues within the bounds of reason, beare a way the heart to disorder; so that Zeale by this meanes being exercised indiscretly and inordinatly, becomes hurtfull and blame wor∣thy. DAVID sent IACOB to leade his armie, against his disloyall and rebellious Sōne ABSALŌ, with spe¦ciall charge that they should not touch him, but in all occurrences they should haue a speciall care to saue his life: But IACOB being set to't and being hot in the pursuite of the victorie, with his owne

hand slewe the poore Absolon, neuer thinking of the charge which the king gaue him: euen so Zeale doth imploye choler against the euill, yet with ex∣presse order, that in distroying wickednesse and sinne, if it be possible, it saue the sinner and the wicked; but being once in hot blood, as a strong headed and stirring horse, runnes away with his rider out of the Listes, without stop or staie while breath lasteth.

2. The good man of the house, which our Sa∣uiour describs in the Ghospell, knew well that hot and violent seruants are wont to out runne their Maisters intention: For his seruants presenting themselues vnto him, to weede vp darnell, no quoth he, I will not least together with weedes you pull vp corne. Verily, THEO: Anger is a ser∣uant, who being strong, couragious, and a great vndertaker, doth indeede at the first on-set per∣forme a great deale of worke, but with all is so hot headdie, inconsiderate, and impetuous, that it doth neuer any good at all, but ordinarily it drawes with it many discomodities. Now it is not good husbandrie, saie our husbandmen to keepe Peacokes about the house; for though they free it of spiders, yet doe they so spoile their couers and tiles that their profit is not comparable to the great waste they make. Anger was giuen as a helpe to reason by Nature, and is employed by Grace in the seruice of Zeale, to put in execution it's designes; yet is it a dangerous helpe, and not greately to be desired: for if it get strength it be∣coms Mistresse, defeating Reason's authoritie, and the louing lawes of Zeale: and if it turne weake,

it doth no more then Zeale would performe all alone; how soeuer, it giues still a iust occasion of feare, that waxing strong; it might impare the heart and Zeale, making them slaues to its tyran∣nie, euen as an artificiall fire which in an instant is kindled in a building, and ••hich one knowes not how to extinguish. It were an act of dispare to put a stranger compaine into a Fort in garison, who by that meanes might become stronger.

3. Selfe Loue doth oft deceiue vs, and makes vs runne-counter, practising our proper passions vnder the name of Zeale, Zeale hath sometimes of old made vse of Anger: and Anger often times makes vse of the name of Zeale in counterchange to keepe its shamefull disorder couered vnder it. And marke, that I saie, it makes vse of the name of Zeale; for it can make no vse of Zeale it selfe, since it is the propertie of all vertues, but espe∣cially of Charitie whereof Zeale is a depēdance, to be so good, that none can abuse it.

4. Vpon a day there came a notorious sinner, and threw himselfe at the feete of a good and worthy priest, protesting with a great deale of hu∣miliatiō that he came to find a cure for his desease, that is, to receiue the holy absolution of his faults: a certaine MONKE called DEMOPHILVS, apprehen∣ding in his conceite, that this poore penitent came too nigh the high Altar, fell into so violent a fit of choler, that falling vpon him, he kicked and pushed him thence with his feete, wronging the good priest in an outragious sort, who accor∣ding to his dutie, had mildly admitted the poore penitent: And then running vnto the Altar, he

tooke away the most holy things there, and car∣ried them thence, least, as he would make men thinke, the place should haue bene profaned by the sinners approch: Now hauing finished this specious maister-peece of Zeale, he staied not yet there, but made a great matter of it to the great S. DENIS AREOPAGITE, in a letter which he wrote touching it, whereof he receiued an excellent an∣swere, worthy of the Apostolicall spirit, wherwith this great Disciple of S. PAVLE was animated: for he made him clearely see that his Zeale had bene indiscreete, imprudēt and impudent withall: be∣cause though the Zeale of the honour due vnto holy things be good and laudable, yet was it pra∣ctised against reason, without consideration, or iudgement at all, since he had vsed pushing with his feete, outrage, iniurie, and reproch, in a place, in a circumstance, and against a person that he was to honour, loue, and respect, so that the Zeale could not be good, being so disorderly practised. But in this very answere, the same Saint recounts another admirable example of a great Zeale proceeding frō a very good soule, whom yet the excesse of Anger, which Zeale did excite in her, had blemished and spoyled.

5. A Pagan had seduced and made a Christian of CANDIE newly conuerred to the Faith returne to Idolatrie: CARPVS an eminent man for puritie and sanctitie of life, and who as it is very probable, was the Bishope of Candie, conceiued so deepe a wroth against it, that he had neuer in his time en∣dured the like, and let himselfe be so farre carried away with this passion, that being risen at mid∣night

to praie according to his custome, he con∣cluded in him selfe that it was not reasonable, that wicked men should any longer liue, with great in∣dignation beseeching the Diuine Iustice, to strike downe at once these two sinners, the Pagan se∣ductour, and Christian seduced. But note, THEO: how God corrected the bitternesse of the passion, which carried the poore CARPVS beyond himselfe. First he made him as another S. STEPHEN behold the heauens open, and our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST seated vpon a great throne enuironed with a mul∣titude of Angels, who assisted him, in humane shape; then he saw below, the earth gaping open, as a horrid and vast gulfe, and the two sinners to whom he had wished so much euill vpon the very edge of this Precipice, quaking, and well nere fal∣ling downe in a traunce for dread being vpon the point of tumbling in, drawen on the one side by a multitude of Serpents, which rising out of the gulfe, wrapped thēselues about their ledges, tick∣ling them with their tayles, and prouoking their fall: and the other side a cōpanie of men did push and iogge, to rush them in; so that they seemed to be euē alreadie swallowed vp by this precipice: Now consider, my THEO: I praie you, the violen∣cie of CARPVS his passion: for as he himselfe after∣wards recounted to S. D••NIS, he made nothing of beholding our Sauiour and the Angels, ascen∣ding to Heauen, so was he taken with gazing vpon the daunting destresse, of those two miserable wretches; being onely troubled, that they were so long a perishing, and therevpon endeuored him∣selfe to precipitate them: which seeing he could

not so quickly performe, he fumed in himselfe, and curst them, till at length lifting vp his head to∣wards Heauen, he espied the sweete and most cō∣passionate Sauiour of our soules, moued with an extreame pitie and compassion of that which pas∣sed, rysing from his Throne, and descending to the place where the two poore miserable wretches were, stretch towards them his helping hand, as also the Angels round about them did, catching hold of them to hinder them from falling into this dreadfull Gulfe, and in Conclusion the amiable and milde IESVS, turning himselfe to the stormie CARPVS: hold CARPVS, saied he, henceforth beate vpō me; for I am readie to suffer ōce more for mās saluation, and it should be pleasant vnto me, if it could be performed, without the offence of other men; as for the rest, aduise with thy selfe, which thou likest better; to be in this gulfe together with these serpents, or to liue with Angels, who are so great friends to men. THEO: the holy man CARPVS had iust reason to be zealously moued at these two men, and his Zeale had but rightly ray∣sed his stomacke against them, but being once moued, he left reason and Zeale behind him, ouer rūning the bounds and limits of holy loue, and consequently Zeale which is loue in its heate; An∣ger changed the hatred of sinne into the hatred of the sinner, and the most mild Charitie into an outragious crueltie.

6. Some there are of that disposition, that they thinke one cannot be very Zealous vnlesse they be very angrie, thinking that nothing is done well, vnlesse all be spoyled, whereas contrariwise

true Zeale rarely makes vse of choler; for as we neuer applie the lance, and the fire to sicke, but in meere extreamities; so holy Zeale doth not im∣ploie choler but in extreame necessities.